La Sportiva  Tarantulace Climbing Shoes - Women's

There are many reasons why this is the best selling climbing shoe - by far: It's comfortable for new climbers and, properly fit, it is capable of delivering performance up to, say, 5.10. As a gym shoe, it's hard to do better; although some might find the Scarpa fit better at about $50 more. "Properly fit" means find a snug size then deliberately drop 1/2 size to account for the fact these shoes DO stretch as they break in, which they do pretty quickly. This snug fit will allow you to maintain a hold on the progressively smaller edges or plastic pieces as you improve. Simply stated, the price:performance ratio of the Trantulace is incomperable. Don't think twice, pounce!

Love these shoes. They were recommended to me by an REI employee. As a beginner indoor climber, I wanted an affordable but reliable shoe that I could use long-term. These have been with me for over 4 months, and I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a shoe for any beginner.

I can't remember when I first bought my last pair of the Tarantulace but I used them for a cumulative of 2 years of climbing before I had to get new ones. I loved them, they were great and didn't hold me back from the climbs I wanted to do. I was climbing V5-V7 range in them and top roping up to 5.12. This year, they really needed to be replaced so I bought these. They didn't hold up well at all. Within a month the toe has lost some of it's rubber and the blue is showing through. I'm exchanging for a new pair in the hopes that I got a dud, but I somehow doubt it. Also... the color choices this year are just unfortunate and when it has come up in conversation, many seem to agree. Overall disappointed, this should be the same shoe I bought 3-4 years ago... but it clearly isn't.

I really like this shoe, it they my wide feet well and I find them comfortable with the right grip for climbing. I climb around a 5.10+ mostly. Like another commenter said they do break down pretty fast I had a toe hole within 6 months with twice a week climbs. Other than that I enjoy them. I wear a 8.5 in tennis shoes and a 37 in these so you may need to try a few sizes to determine the write fit. I'll get another pair just because I like the fit but wish they lasted longer. I hope the next reiteration has the same fit but longer lasting.

These stretch a lot! My shoe range is 9 -11 depending on the shoe and activity. I ordered a 41.5 which on the shoe is an 8.5 (site says 9.5). After 5ish months of climbing in them they are way too big in the toe box and I get a gap under my arch. The shoes only tighten so much and if you have narrow feet (like me) you may find them too wide. So take sizing down seriously! I am now in the market for a new pair. THAT SAID they are really comfy and are a great starter shoe. Just be aware of how they stretch and you'll be golden.

I use these for indoor beginner climbing. These work well for my wider toes and narrower heel. I had a hard time finding beginner climbing shoes without space under my heel (sized correctly), but these are shallow enough I can get my heel back into the shoe. I wish the height of the heel portion was a little shorter so it didn’t rub my Achilles, but other than that they are comfortable. Easy break in and they hold well on the wall. Not sure how durable they’ll be, but good for the price.

This is my first pair of climbing shoes. The neutral profile makes them very comfortable. I usually wear US 7/7.5 in my nike sneakers and bought tarantulace in 36.5 (US 5.5 I believe?) to get a snug fit as they do stretch quite a bit because of the leather upper. I am overall satisfied and would definitely recommend them to beginners. However, they were not very durable for me. The side glue (connecting the rand rubber and sole rubber) lost power within a month or two, but I didn't exchange for a new pair because it did not affect climbing much. After 5 months (I go climbing once a week), the toe rand rubber wear out to the point I can see the blue suede inside. Rands are not resole-able and the price is not worth resoling, and I also want to get more moderate/aggressive shoes for my next pair, so I decide to leave them for outdoor climbing and retire them when I see holes.

I bought these shoes in early May and after 4 months of light use there is already a toe hole in one of them. I have been climbing for many years and have never had shoes degrade this fast. They weren’t cheap either. :/

After trying on 5 pairs of climbing shoes, I picked these ones. They were pretty comfortable right away. But holes busted through the toes within 4 months. I have heavy feet, but my last pair of Evolv lasted me 13 months. I was really disappointed. I've since talked to someone else who had the same experience with these shoes, and it seems this is common based on other reviews.

They work fine as a first pair of climbing shoes. They’re very comfortable, but they do run large — my normal size is 7-7.5 in women’s, and I bought a 37.5 EU (6.5 US), which was too big. They also stretch over time. If I were to rebuy, I’d get a 36.5 instead. Overall, though, the durability of the laces is quite poor. On my 3rd wear, one of the laces ripped off. I tied them back together, but obviously it wasn’t as functional with a large knot in the middle. The shoe itself lasted decently fine, with wear showing only on the toe after about a year of climbing 3x a week. I retired them mainly because they were too large, especially after stretching over time.